Various Other Thoughts of St. Clement

1. WOMEN

St. Clement explains St. Paul's statement in 1 Cor. 9:5 "Have we
not the right to take a woman around with us as a sister, like all the other
apostles?" to say that women were helping the apostles.

That is why he says in one letter: Do we not have the right to take
with us a wife who is a sister, as the other apostles do (1 Cor. 9:5)? These apostles, in
order to devote themselves to preaching without distraction, as befitted their ministry,
took their wives with them, not as married women but as sisters, to be their fellow
ministers to women in the households. Through these women the teaching of the Lord
penetrated even into the women's quarters without any scandal. We also know what sort of
regulations were given regarding women deacons by the noble Paul in his second (first)
letter to Timothy (cf. 1 Tim. 3:11).

His disciple Origen, in commenting on the role of Phoebe, writes that
"even women are instituted deacons in the church," and that" women who have
given assistance to so many people and who by their good works deserve to be praised by
the Apostle, ought to be accepted in the diaconate." Gryson, in an extensive
commentary on these texts, insists that Clement and Origen are dealing only with
theoretical considerations and not with concrete situations and a living practice in
third-century Alexandria. Both Fathers use the past tense to explain biblical texts that
refer to women associates of the apostles, but there is no evidence of deaconess who are
contemporary with the Alexandrians.

Let us recognize, too, that both men and women practice the same
sort of virtue. Surely, if there is but one God for both, then there is but one Educator
for both. One Church, one virtue, one modesty, a common food, wedlock in common, breath,
sight, hearing, knowledge, hope, obedience, love, all are alike [in man and woman]. They
who possess life in common, grace in common, and salvation in common have also virtue in
common and, therefore, education too. The Scripture says: 'For in this world, they marry
and are given in marriage,' for this world is the only place in which the female is
distinguished from the male, 'but in that other world, no longer' (Cf. Luke 20:34). There,
the rewards of this life, lived in the holy union of wedlock, await not man or woman as
such, but the human person, freed from the lust that in this life had made it either male
or female.

The Logos is Educator to women and men alike. This was an attitude not
found in traditional Judaism: the Jew gave thanks that he was not born a woman. It was not
found in Greece, least of all in the Athens where Pericles declared that the greatest
glory of a woman was not to be spoken of by men for good or bad. It was not found in Rome,
where despite the freedom of some aristocrats the woman was under the authority of first
the father and then of husband. It is authentically the spirit of Jesus, whose freedom in
speaking with the woman of Samaria startled his disciples, who denied a twofold standard
of morality over the woman taken in adultery, and whose attitude to Mary and Martha speaks
of a new type of relationship. It is true to the early church, where Mary, mother of John
Mark, played a prominent role, Nympha presided over a house church, Phoebe was deaconess
of Cenchreae, and Priscilla was named before her husband Aquila. This partnership between
men and women was part of the Christian revolution, the Christian transvaluation, and
Clement is in the true tradition in offering it.

2. Widows

Carl A. Volz states that St. Clement of Alexandria writes:
"Innumerable commands such as these are written in the Holy Bible and directed to
chosen persons, some to presbyters, some to bishops, some to deacons, others to widows."
Origen also speaks of special obligations required of widows, priests, and the
bishop, and he writes that second marriages prevent aspirants from assuming ecclesiastical
dignities - namely, that of bishop, presbyter, deacon, and widow. A special vocation of
widows was to prayer, fasting, and chastity. Origen adds others - to teach younger women
to be sober, to love their husbands, to raise their children, to be modest, chaste, to be
good housekeepers, to be submissive to their husbands, to be kind, to practice
hospitality, to wash the feet of the saints, and to fulfill in all chastity all the other
duties which are ascribed to women in Scripture. Thus we find that widows are also given
the task of teaching younger women and serving them as examples of virtue and charity.

Tertullian and St. Clement of Alexandria referred to the widows
participation with the clergy in the healing of sinners and the comforting of those in
distress.

3. SERVANTS

We must treat servants as we do ourselves, for they are men even as we
are. God is the same to all, free or slave, if you consider.

We ought not to inflict torture on servants who do wrong, but only
chastise them: 'He who spares his rod hates his son (Cf. Prov. 13:24).

4. MARIOLOGY

St. Clement speaks of the virginity in party thus: "For certain
people say that Mary examined by the midwife after she had given birth was found to be
a virgin." The source is evidently the Protoevangelium of James.

St. Clement speaks of the Scriptures, like Mary, bringing forth truth.

He points to the Mary-Church parallel in the following words: "O
mysterious wonder! There is only one Father of all, only one Word of all, and the Holy
Spirit is also one and he is everywhere. There is but one Virgin Mother. I like to call
her the Church. Alone this mother has not had milk, for she alone is not a woman but a
virgin and a mother, immaculate as a virgin, loving as a mother; and she calls her
children and feeds them with holy milk: the Word a child."

St. Clement taught the virginal conception. He attributed the making of
Christ's human body to the Holy Spirit. Some of the early Fathers thought of the Word
himself. "But the Lord Christ, fruit of the Virgin, did not seek the sweet breast
of a woman, did not ask her for his food. When the Father, full of kindness, rained down
his Word, the latter became for men a spiritual food."

5. martyrdom

In Alexandria there was a tradition, going back at least to Clement,
that a martyr is not one who dies, but one who is perfected: "We call martyrdom
perfection, not because the man comes to the end of his life as others, but because he has
exhibited the perfect work of love." He also says, "If the confession to God is
martyrdom, each soul which has lived purely in the knowledge of God, which has obeyed
the commandments, is a witness both by life and word, in whatever way it may by released
from the body, - shedding faith as blood along its whole life till its departure."

St. Clement sees in martyrdom the perfect work of love. But with the
cool eye of reason he also rejects all reckless enthusiasm for it and any desire for it
which stems from any motive but the love of God. He prefers, it seems, to emphasize the Gnostic
martyrdom of a life lived according to the Gospel:

The Lord says in the Gospel, "Whoever shall leave father or
mother or brethren," etc., "for the sake of the gospel and my name" (Matt
19:29), he is blessed; not indicating simple martyrdom, but the Gnostic martyrdom [cf.
also Stromata IV 14], as of the man who has conducted himself according to the rule of the
gospel, in love to the Lord....

St. Clement thus sees both blood martyrdom and Gnostic martyrdom
as sacrificial, but without making much of the point. He prefers, it seems, the latter,
but sees the virtue of love as towering over both.

St. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, St. Cyprian and St. Dionysius all
defend flight from persecution - their own, and that of the brethren. St. Clement of
Alexandria says that those who provoke martyrdom are accomplices in the crime of the
persecutor. St. Athanasius gives the imprimatur to flight. Canon 60 of Elvira, held in
Spain at the dawn of the fourth century, says that those who destroy idols and are
consequently killed are not to be considered martyrs. "If anyone breaks idols and
is killed on the spot, since this is not written in the Gospel nor will it be found that
it ever happened in the days of the apostles, he shall not be received into the number of
the martyrs." It was for this reason that a person like Cyprian would flee from
the authorities until he felt sure that his time for witness had come.

Alone, therefore, the Lord, for the purification of the men who
plotted against Him and disbelieved Him, " drank the Cup," in imitation of whom
the apostles, that they might be in reality Gnostics, and perfect, suffered for the
Churches which they founded. So, then, also the Gnostics who tread in the footsteps of the
apostles ought to be sinless, and, out of love to the Lord, to love also their brother; so
that, if occasion call, enduring without stumbling afflictions for the Church, "they
may drink the cup." Those who witness in their life by deed, and at the tribunal by
word, whether entertaining hope or surmising fear, are better than those who confess
salvation by their mouth alone. But if one ascend also to love, he is a really blessed and
true martyr, having confessed perfectly both to the commandments and to God, by the Lord;
whom having, loved, he acknowledged a brother, giving himself up wholly for God, resigning
pleasantly and lovingly the man when asked, like a deposit.

Although we do not wrong, yet the judge looks on us as doing wrong, for
he neither knows nor wishes to know about us, but is influenced by unwarranted prejudice;
wherefore also he is judged. Accordingly they persecute us, not from the supposition that
we are wrong-doers, but imagining that by the very fact of our being Christians we sin
against life in so conducting, ourselves, and exhorting others to adopt the like life.

But why are you not helped when persecuted? say they. What wrong is
done us, as far as we are concerned, in being released by death to go to the Lord, and so
undergoing a change of life, as if a change from one time of life to another? Did we think
rightly, we should feel obliged to those who have afforded the means for speedy departure,
if it is for love that we bear witness; and if not, we should appear to the multitude to
be base men. Had they also known the truth, all would have bounded on to the way, and
there would have been no choice. But our faith, being the light of the world, reproves
unbelief. "Should Anytus and Melitus kill me, they will not hurt me in the least; for
I do not think it right for the better to be hurt by the worse," [says Socrates]. So
that each one of us may with confidence say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear:
what shall man do to me?" (Ps. 118:6). "For the souls of the righteous are in
the hand of the Lord, and no plague shall touch them" (Wisd. 3:1).

When, again, He says, "When they persecute you in this city, flee
you to the other," He does not advise flight, as if persecution were an evil thing;
nor does He enjoin them by flight to avoid death, as if in dread of it, but wishes us
neither to be the authors nor abettors of any evil to any one, either to ourselves or the
persecutor and murderer. For He, in a way, bids us take care of ourselves. But he who
disobeys is rash and foolhardy. If he who kills a man of God sins against God, he also who
presents himself before the judgment-seat becomes guilty of his death. And such is also
the case with him who does not avoid persecution, but out of daring presents himself for
capture. Such a one, as far as in him lies, becomes an accomplice in the crime of the
persecutor. And if he also uses provocation, he is wholly guilty, challenging the wild
beast. And similarly, if he afford any cause for conflict or punishment, or retribution or
enmity, he gives occasion for persecution.

I. The sacrifice of the church

According to St. Clement the sacrifice of the church is considered
something intensely communal:

Breathing together is properly said of the church. For the sacrifice
of the church is the word breathing as incense from holy souls, the sacrifice and the
whole mind being at the same time unveiled to God.... Thus we should offer God not costly
sacrifices but such as he loves. The mixture of incense mentioned in the law is something
that consists of many tongues and voices in prayer, or rather of different nations and
natures, prepared by the gift bestowed in the dispensation for "the unity of the
faith" (Eph 4:13) and brought together in praises, with a pure mind, and just and
right conduct, from holy works and righteous prayer.

II. The sacrifice of the Christian

Through the fellowship with Christ who offered Himself as a sacrifice
for us, we also become sacrifices for His sake. St. Clement said, "We glorify Him
who gave Himself in sacrifice for us, we also sacrificing ourselves." The
Christian becomes, like Christ, the offering itself: 'We have become a consecrated
offering to God for Christ's sake."

The sacrifice acceptable to God is unswerving abstraction from the
body and its passions. This is the really true piety. Is not, then, Socrates correct in
calling philosophy the practice of Death?... It was from Moses that the chief of the
Greeks drew these philosophical tenets. For Moses commands holocausts to be skinned and
divided into parts [cf. Lev. 1:6]. For the Gnostic soul must be consecrated to the light,
stripped of the coverings of matter, separated from the frivolousness of the body and of
all the passions which are acquired through vain and lying opinions, and divested of the
lusts of the flesh.

St. Clement not only follows Philo in seeing Old Testament
sacrifices as symbols of the soul's progress toward God, and Barnabas in rejecting the
validity of a literal interpretation of these sacrifices; he also goes beyond this by
using at some length the cult criticism of the pagan philosophers and poets and not
continually referring to the authority of Scripture.

6. GOOD AND EVIL ANGELS

St. Clement of Alexandria and also Origen explain that the demonic
order attempts to make man fall, lead him into slavery and make him an ally with
themselves. The divine providence does not leave us helpless before the demons, for it
supports us with the angels for our protection if we accept their actions for our sakes
(Heb. 1:14); and to lead the believers to the heavenly wedding room if the believers wish.

For regiments of angels are distributed over the nations and cities
(Deut. 32:8 LXX), and, perchance, some are assigned to individuals.

For by angels, whether seen or unseen, the divine power bestows good
things. This method of operation is manifest in the covenants of the Jews, the
legislations of the Greeks, and the teachings of philosophy.

The angels of God serve the priests and deacons in the ministering of
earthly affairs.

So is he (the Gnostic) always pure for prayer. He also prays in the
society of angels as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy
keeping; and though he prays alone, he has the choir of saints standing with him.

The priest, upon entering the second veil, would take off his mitre
beside the altar of incense. He himself would enter further in silence, with the Name
engraved upon his heart. Thus he shows that the setting aside of the golden mitre which
had become purified and light by the cleansing, as it were, of the body, was really a
setting aside of the weight of the soul... He puts aside this light mitre when he has come
with it inside the second veil, in the world of the intellectuals, that is, the second
veil, alongside the altar of incense, beside the ministers of the prayers that are being
offered, the angels. Then the naked soul, having become in reality a high-priest, is
thereafter moved directly by the Word... Passing beyond the teaching of the angels, she
goes on to the knowledge and understanding of things, no longer merely betrothed but
dwelling with the Bridegroom.

Now the devil, being possessed of free will, was able both to repent
and to seal; and it was he who was the author of the theft, not the Lord, who did not
prevent him.

7. The Doctrine of Man

Henry Chadwick says,

The soul is not a portion of God, but is created by God's goodness and
as such is the proper object of divine love. But this love is not automatic, as the
heretics assume. It is one of the fundamental grounds for complaint against the Gnostics
that their doctrine of the divine spark in the elect obliterates the gulf between Creator
and creature.

The Word of God became man, so that He might live among men as one of
them (John 1:14). The Alexandrian churchmen looked at the incarnation as a sign of God's
honorable concept of man . St. Clement of Alexandria says, "He had taken upon Him
our flesh ... He scorned not the weakness of human flesh, but having clothed Himself with
it, has come into the world for the common salvation of men." He also says:
"O divine mystery!... O wondrous mystery!... The Lord was laid low, and man was
raised up!"

We are indebted to the Gracious God not only for the existence of the
universe for our sake and caring for it continuously on our behalf, and for our coming
into existence from nothing, but also for the special love of God for us even before our
creation. St. Clement of Alexandria states that man, the noblest of the created
objects, the dearest creature to God, the Hymn of God,
was in the Divine Mind before the creation. In His infinite love, God created the universe
for man's sake, then He created man in His image and likeness to enjoy communion with Him.
Man is chosen for himself and thus belongs to the Choosier.

Man is justly dear to God, since he is His workmanship. The other
works of creation, He made by the word of command alone, but man He formed by Himself, by
His own hand, and breathed into him what was particular to Himself. What, then, was
fashioned by Him, and after His likeness, either was created by God Himself as being
desirable on its own account, or was formed as being desirable on account of something
else.

St. Clement, who discovers the redeeming work of the Creator
acknowledges how man is the beloved creature.

Therefore, man, the creation of God, is desirable in himself... Man
is, then, an object of love; yes, man is loved by God.

A noble hymn of God is an immortal man..., in whom the oracles of truth
are engraved.

For where but in a soul that is wise can you write truth?

where love?

Where reverence?

Where meekness?...

For Clement, as for Irenaeus, Adam was created with childish innocence,
and he was to achieve the purpose of his creation through further growth unto perfection.
This was delayed by the fall, which took place because man made use of his sexual
capabilities before God had intended it.

J.N.D. Kelly says:

In his primitive state, according to Clement, man was childlike and
innocent, destined to advance by stages towards perfection. Adam, he states, "was not
created perfect in constitution, but suitable for acquiring virtue... For God desires us
to be saved by our own efforts." Progress therefore depends upon free-will, on which
Clement places great emphasis. The fault of Adam and Eve consisted in the fact that, using
their volition wrongly, they indulged in the pleasures of sexual intercourse before God
gave them leave. Not that sex was wrong in itself (Clement strongly repudiates the Gnostic
suggestion that it is), but the violation of Gods ordinance was. As a result they
lost the immortal life of Paradise, their will and rationality were weakened, and they
became a prey to sinful passions. But while Clement accepts the historicity of Adam, he
also regards him as symbolizing mankind as a whole. All men, he teaches, have a spark of
the divine in them and are free to obey or disobey Gods law, but all except the
incarnate Logos are sinners. They are, as it were, sick, blind and gone astray; they are
enslaved to the elements and the Devil; and their condition can be described as death. He
nowhere hints, however, that they are involved in Adams guilt and in one passage
vehemently denies that a new-born baby which has not performed any act of its own can have
"fallen under the curse of Adam." In another he explains Job 1, 21 ("Naked
I came from my mothers womb") as implying that a child enters the world exempt
from sin. On the whole, his insistence against the Gnostics that only the personal
misdeeds that men have committed are imputable to them leaves no room for original sin in
the full sense. On the other hand, although certain contexts might seem to suggest that
the connection between the general human sinfulness and Adams transgression amounts
to no more than imitation, he in fact envisages it as much more intimate. His teaching
seems to be that, through our physical descent from Adam and Eve, we inherit, not indeed
their guilt and curse, but a disordered sensuality which entails the dominance of the
irrational element in our nature.

In fact, the inspired word reserves the name man to what
is complete and consummate; David, for example says of the Devil: The Lord
abominates the man of blood, man in the sense that he is consummate in wickedness.
Scripture calls the Lord man, too, in the sense that He is consummate in goodness. The
Apostle, for example, writing to the Corinthians, says: 'For I have betrothed you to one
man, that I might present you a chaste virgin to Christ,' or as little ones and saints,
but, at any rate, only to the Lord. And in writing to the Ephesians he expresses clearly
just what we are saying: Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the deep
knowledge of God, to perfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ.

The soul consists of three parts. The intelligence, which is also
called the reason, is the inner man, the ruler of the external man. But it is led by
someone else, that is, by God. The part in which anger resides is akin to the beasts and
lives close to madness.

We are subject to the Devil, and thus become slaves of sin and death.
This does not mean that human freedom is utterly destroyed. On the contrary, when God, by
means of His Word, offers faith, it is man who must decide whether to accept it or not,
thus exercising his freedom.

8. Free-will

Mans freedom is the most important divine gift that God bestows
on man. According to St. Cyril of Alexandria, the image of God in which man was created
(Gen 1: 26) was his own free-will, and the spoilage of his human nature, that occurred by
his disobedience to God, was the loss of his free-will.

According to Athenagoras, the dean of the Alexandrian School in the
second century, man has the choice to do good or evil. Man has the freedom to sin or not
to sin; otherwise he could not be condemned, rebuked, exhorted, or summoned.

St. Clement of Alexandria interprets the goodness of the first man not
as being perfect but as having free-will to be advanced towards perfection . He said that
Adam was childlike and innocent; "He was not created perfect in constitution, but
suitable for acquiring virtue ... For God desires us to be saved by our own efforts."

Therefore the Alexandrians looked at Adam's life in Paradise as if it
were a kind of divine life, because of Adam's free - will that grants him the ability to
be in close contact with God. In this atmosphere, Adam and Eve received God's commandment
not as a restriction that they had to suffer, but on the contrary, as a chance to express
their love through obedience to God by there own free-will. In other words, without this
commandment our first parents would find no way to accept God's love by practicing love,
and had no way to have the experience of free-will.

According to St. Clement of Alexandria, the fault of Adam and Eve
consisted in the fact that, using their volition wrongly, they indulged in the pleasures
of sexual intercourse before God gave them leave. Not that sex was wrong in itself, but
the violation of God's ordinance was. As a result, their will and rationality were
weakened, and they became a prey to sinful passions. He says: "The first man
played in Paradise, at liberty, since he was the child of God. Then he fell, through
pleasure ... and was led astray through his desires... How great the power of pleasure!
Man was free, in his innocence, and then found himself bound by his sins."

His teaching seems to be, that through our physical descent from Adam
and Eve, we inherit, not indeed their own guilt and curse, but a disordered sensuality
which entails the dominance of the irrational element in our nature, and a lack of
knowledge, for sin is due to "ignorance."

J. Pelikan says:

As a spokesman for the Christian faith, in response to the heathen and
the heretics, Clement of Alexandria delivered just such an exhortation; " As far as
we can, let us try to sin as little as possible." Only God could avoid sin
altogether; but wisemen were able to avoid voluntary transgressions, and those who were
properly trained in Christianity could at least see to it that they fell into very few.

St. Clement asserts free-will to all rational beings: good and bad
angels and man.

Now the devil, being possessed of free-will, was able both to repent
and to steal; and it was he who was the author of the theft, not the Lord, who did not
prevent him.

Above all, this ought to be known, that by nature we are adapted
for virtue; not so as to be possessed of it from our birth, but so as to be adapted for
acquiring it.

FREE WILL AND GOD'S PROVIDENCE

Someone may ask: How can we interpret God's providence through the free
will of men, for if God takes care of everyone, even of the number of hairs of the head
(Matt. 10: 30) how will we accept the free will of others who would harm me or even kill
me through their free will ?

Our God who in His goodness grants us free will, through His infinite
wisdom uses this human freedom for the edification of His children, for He changes even
the evil deeds to the salvation of others. St. Clement of Alexandria gives a biblical
example. Jacob's sons sold Joseph as a slave, but God used this evil action for Joseph's
glory. Joseph said to his brothers: "But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry
with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life...
so now it was not you who sent me here, but God, and He has made me a father of Pharaoh,
and lord of all, Gen 45:5-9; 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for
you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as
it is this day, to save many people alive' (Exod. 50: 19, 20).

9. Salvation in

the life of believers

The perfect believers or "Gnostics" who have true spiritual
knowledge and practise fellowship with Christ attain the righteous life. St. Clement of
Alexandria could have devoted a treatise to spiritual perfection in which the implication
is that a life without sin is possible at least for a few in this world. The
"Gnostic," or perfect Christian, Clement writes, has gained mastery over himself
and is never tempted, except by divine permission, and then only for the benefit of
others. His whole life is one of prayer and communion with God; he "lives in the
spirit with those who are like him in the choirs of the holy ones, even though he is still
detained on the earth."

The Gnostic becomes the image of Christ and in His likeness.
Some scholars ask if there is a difference between the image and the likeness
of Christ. Some of the Fathers, such as St. Clement of Alexandria and Origen, make a
distinction between image and likeness. The image of God is what is received at birth,
while his likeness is something achieved by the effort of a lifetime. "The human
person was given the dignity of the image in his first creation," Origen writes,
"but the perfection of likeness is reserved for the consummation." Other
Fathers, however, make no distinction whatsoever between the two words (likeness and
image), and St. Cyril of Alexandria says rather bluntly that, if there is a
difference, no one has been able to prove it to him.

10. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF

BELIEVERS (GNOSTICS)

a. The true believer searches for every knowledge.

The Gnostic must be erudite...

The Gnostic of whom I speak, himself comprehends what seems to be
incomprehensible to others; believing that nothing is incomprehensible to the Son of God,
whence nothing incapable of being taught. For He who suffered out of His love for us,
would have suppressed no element of knowledge requisite for our instruction.

If the love of knowledge produces immortality, and leads the kingly man
near to God the King, knowledge ought to be sought till it is found.

b. The Gnostic is a true pious worshipper:

It is our purpose to prove that the Gnostic is holy and pious, and
worships the true God in a manner worthy of Him, and that worship meet for God is followed
by loving and being loved by God...

The service of God, then, in the case of the Gnostic, is his soul's
continual study and occupation, bestowed on the Deity in ceaseless love. For of the
service bestowed on men, one kind is that whose aim is improvement, the other ministerial.
The improvement of the body is the object of the medical art, of the soul of philosophy.
Ministerial service is rendered to parents by children, to rulers by subjects.

Similarly, also, in the Church, the elders attend to the department
which has improvement for its object; and the deacons to the ministerial. In both these
ministries the angels serve God, in the management of earthly affairs; and the Gnostic
himself ministers to God, and exhibits to men the scheme of improvement, in the way in
which he has been appointed to discipline men for their amendment. For he is alone pious
that serves God rightly and unblamably in human affairs...

And as Godliness is the habit which preserves what is becoming to God,
the godly man is the only lover of God, and such will he be who knows what is becoming,
both in respect of knowledge and of the life which must be lived by him who is destined to
be divine, and is already being assimilated to God. So then he is in the first place a
lover of God. For as he who honors his father is a lover of his father, so he who honors
God is a lover of God.

Thus also it appears to me that there are three effects of Gnostic
power:

the knowledge of things;

second, the performance of whatever the Word suggests;

and the third, the capability of delivering, in a way suitable to God,
the secrets veiled in the truth.

The Gnostic is a man of prayer. Prayer is essential in
his life, he practises the "Canonical Hours," at the same time that his prayers
are not limited by a certain time or place, but all his life is changed into a prayer. He
always thanks God for His providence.

Now, if some assign definite hours for prayer - as for example, the
third, the sixth, and ninth - yet the Gnostic prays throughout his whole life, endeavoring
by prayer to have fellowship with God. And briefly, having reached to this, he leaves
behind him all that is of no service, as having now received the perfection of the man
that acts by love. By the distribution of the hours into a threefold division, honored
with as many prayers, those are acquainted with... the blessed triad of the holy abodes.

His whole life is prayer and converse with God...

So he is always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of
angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and
though he prays alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him.

The form of his prayer is thanksgiving for the past, for the present,
and for the future as already through faith present.

The Gnostic prays by his body and his soul, he prays through gestures
and even by his silence.

Prayer is, then, to speak more boldly, converse with God. Though
whispering, consequently, and not opening the lips, we speak in silence, yet we cry
inwardly (1 Sam. 1:13). For God hears continually all the inward converse. So also we
raise the head and lift the hands to heaven, and set the feet in motion at the closing
utterance of the prayer, following the eagerness of the spirit directed towards the
intellectual essence; and endeavoring to abstract the body from the earth, along with the
discourse, raising the soul aloft, winged with longing for better things, we compel it to
advance to the region of holiness, magnanimously despising the chain of the flesh. For we
know right well, that the Gnostic willingly passes over the whole world, as the Jews
certainly did over Egypt, showing clearly, above all, that he will be as near as possible
to God.

Prayer, then, may be uttered without the voice, by concentrating the
whole spiritual nature within on expression by the mind, in undistracted turning towards
God.

c. For the Gnostic, earth is changed into heaven. St.
Clement who asserts the sanctification of the body together with the soul, says that the
sanctified soul changes its body into heaven, by the work of the Holy Spirit.

The soul is not then sent down from heaven to what is worse. For God
works all things up to what is better. But the soul which has chosen the best life - the
life that is from God and righteousness - exchanges earth for heaven.

The Gnostics' aim is to put their treasures in heaven, not on
earth:

At any rate, we should repeat on every occasion that most inspiring
of all our doctrines, that the good man, in his prudence and uprightness, 'lays up
treasure in heaven' (Cf. Matt. 6:20).

Such is the Gnostic laborer, who has the mastery of worldly desires
even while still in flesh; and who, in regard to things future and still invisible, which
he knows, has a sure persuasion, so that he regards them as more present than the things
within reach.

The Gnostics examine the pledge of heaven itself.

O wondrous mystery... Man was cast out of Paradise; and now he
receives a reward greater than that of obedience, the reward of Heaven.

d. The believers attain a kind of perfection through the work of
the Holy Trinity, as a pledge of the eternal perfection. They imitate God.

But, they object, man has not yet received the gift of perfection. I
agree with them, except that I insist he is already in the light and that darkness does
not overtake him (John 1:5). There is nothing at all in between light and darkness.
Perfection lies ahead, in the resurrection of the faithful, but it consists in obtaining
the promise which has already been given to us.

The Gnostic is divine, and already holy, God-bearing, and God-borne.

The Gnostic, as we already mentioned, struggles to be in the
likeness of Christ, by divine grace.

He is the Gnostic, who is after the image and likeness of God, who
imitates God as far as possible, deficient in none of the things which contribute to the
likeness as far as compatible, practising self restraint and endurance, living
righteously, reigning over the passions, bestowing of what he has as far as possible, and
doing good both by word and deed. "He is the greatest." it is said, "in the
kingdom who shall do and teach;" imitating God in conferring like benefits.

But "it is enough for the disciple to become as the Master"
(Matt. 25:10), says the Master. To the likeness of God, then, he that is introduced
into adoption and the friendship of God, to the just inheritance of the lords and gods is
brought; if he be perfected, according to the Gospel, as the Lord Himself taught.

The members of the church must be sanctified in their thoughts and
dreams.

So it is said that we ought to go washed to sacrifices and prayers,
clean and bright; and that these external adornments and purification are practised for a
sign . Now purity is to think holy thoughts...

Sanctity, as I conceive it, is perfect pureness of mind, and deeds, and
thoughts, and words too, and in its last degree, sinlessness in dreams.

e. The believer attains the heavenly peace, therefore heis never
anxious about tomorrow:

Do not be anxious about tomorrow (Matt. 6:34). He means
to say that he who has dedicated himself to Christ ought to be self-sufficient and His own
servant and, besides, live his life from day to day.

f. The believer, full of joy in Christ, is always smiling:

Now, the proper relaxation of the features within due limits--as
though the face were a musical instrument - is called a smile ( that is the way joy is
reflected on the face); it is the good humor of the self-contained... It is well that even
the smile be kept under the influence of the Educator.

g. The Christian is gentle and quiet:

The Christian avoids obscenity with ears, mouth, and eyes. It is
common, pagan, uneducated, and shameless. One could wish that all Christians had shown
such balance and sanity. He also avoids jeering at anyone; its a small step to
insulting behavior and violence. If he has to sneeze or belch, he does so quietly. He does
not pick his teeth so that the gums bleed. The Christians society is calm, tranquil,
serene, and peaceful.

Let the gaze be composed, and the movement of the head and the
gestures be steady, as well as the motion of the hands in conversation. In general, the
Christian is, by nature, a man of gentleness and quiet, of serenity and peace.

The beauty of anything, whether plant or animal, is admittedly in its
perfection. But man's perfection is justice and temperance and courage and piety.

h. The Gnostic is the Temple and the Altar of God:

The Christian or true Gnostic is now not just the offering and
the offered but also the place of worship. St. Clement not only takes up the traditions
which saw both the church and the believer as the true temple, and the soul(s) of the
Christian(s) as the true altar; he also develops this theme still further:. . . he who
builds up the temple of God in men, that he may cause God to take up his abode in men.
Cleanse the temple, and pleasures and amusements abandon to the winds and the fire, as a
fading flower; but wisely cultivate the fruits of self-command, and present yourself to
God as an offering of first fruits.

St. Clement believes that the reception of the Eucharist is enshrining
Christ within us as in a temple:

Such is the suitable food which the Lord ministers, and He offers
His flesh and pours forth His blood, and nothing is wanting for the children's growth. O
amazing mystery! We are enjoined to cast off the old and carnal corruption, as also the
old nutriment, receiving in exchange another new regimen, that of Christ, receiving Him if
we can, to hide Him within and to enshrine the Savior in our hearts so that we may correct
the affections of our flesh.

St. Clement also speaks of the heavenly temple, and of the whole church
- in heaven as well as on earth - as a temple; but it was the temple here below, the
temple of the Christian community and the Gnostic as a member of the Church, which
particularly captivated his attention.

How can He, to whom belongs everything that is, need anything? If
God had a human form, he would, like man, have need of food, shelter, housing and what
goes with these. Those who are similar in form and affections will require similar
sustenance. And if the temple has two meanings, both God Himself and the structure raised
to His honor, is it not proper for us to apply the name of temple to the church which by
holy knowledge came into being in God's honor? For it is of great value to God, not having
been constructed by mechanical art nor embellished by an impostor's hand, but by the will
of God fashioned into a temple. For it is not now the place but the assemblage of the
elect that I call the church. This temple is better for the reception of the greatness of
the dignity of God. For the living creature, which is of high value, is made sacred by
that which is worth all, or rather which has no equivalent in virtue of the exceeding
sanctity of the latter. Now this is the Gnostic, who is of great value and who is honored
by God. For in him God is enshrined, that is, the knowledge respecting God is consecrated.

The altar, then, that is with us here, the terrestrial one, is
the congregation of those who devote themselves to prayers, having as it were one common
voice and one mind....

Now breathing together is properly said of the church. For the
sacrifice of the church is the word breathing as incense from holy souls, the sacrifice
and the whole mind being at the same time unveiled to God.... And will they not believe us
when we say that the righteous soul is the truly sacred altar, and that incense arising
from it is holy prayer?

At another time, He speaks of us under the figure of a colt. He means
by that that we are unyoked to evil, unsubdued by wickedness, unaffected,
high-spirited only with Him our Father. We are colts, not stallions 'who whinny lustfully
for their neighbor's wife, beasts of burden unrestrained in their lust' (Cf. Jer. 5:8).
Rather, we are free and newly born, joyous in our faith, holding fast to the course
of truth, swift in seeking salvation, spurning and trampling upon worldliness.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold,
your King comes to you, the just and Savior, and He is poor and riding upon an ass and
upon a young colt (Zach. 9:9).

i. The true Gnostic attains the new life in Christ as
Festival:

The true believer practices the pledge of the joyful heavenly life.

Then, since we shall already be living the life of heaven which
makes us divine, let us anoint ourselves with the never-failing oil of gladness, the
incorruptible oil of good odor. We possess an unmistakable model of incorruptibility in
the life of the Lord and are following in the footsteps of God.

"Joy" is one of the essential characteristics of the Church
who is guided by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Truly we are called to participate in the
Lord's crucifixion, but He grants us His Spirit, the Paraclete, or the Comforter (John
14:16;16:1) who dwells within us even during tribulations and makes our hearts flow with
unceasing joy (Phil. 4:4). Through grace we acknowledge the continuous presence of God
within our soul that grants us unceasing joy. Our whole life changes into endless feast.
St. Clement says:

The (Gnostic's) whole life is a holy festival.

Holding festival, and that in our whole life, since we are persuaded
that God is altogether on every side present. We cultivate our fields, praising; we sail
the sea... The Gnostic, then is very closely allied to God, being at once graceful and
cheerful in all things, graceful on account of the bent of his soul towards the divinity,
and cheerful on account of his consideration of the blessing of humanity which God has
given us.

I appeal to Isaac as an illustration of this sort of childhood. Isaac
means rejoicing. The inquisitive king saw him playing with his wife and
help-mate, Rebecca (Gen. 26:8). The king (his name was Abimelec) represents, I believe, a
wisdom above this world, looking down upon the mystery signified by such child-like
playing. Rebecca means 'submission.' Oh, what prudent playing! Rejoicing joined to
submission, with the king as audience. The Spirit exults in such merry-making in Christ,
attended with submissiveness. This is in truth godly child-likeness.

Isaac rejoiced for a mystical reason, to prefigure the joy with which
the Lord has filled us, in saving us from destruction through His blood. Isaac did not
actually suffer, not only to concede the primacy of suffering to the Word, but also to
suggest, by not being slain, the divinity of the Lord; Jesus rose again after His burial,
as if He had not suffered, like Isaac delivered from the altar of sacrifice.

There is peace and joy in the hearts of those upon whom the face
of the Lord looks, but for those from whom He turns away there is an accumulation of
evils.

He (the Gnostic), all day and night, speaking and doing the Lord's
commands, rejoices exceedingly, not only on rising in the morning and at noon, but
also when walking about, when asleep, when dressing and undressing.

St. Clement looks to the Christian life as an unceasing feast, asking
us: "holding festival... in our whole life."

j. The Gnostic practices goodness not through his fear of
punishment, nor waiting for recompense, but through his love to goodness itself. He
has Christ-like desires and goodness naturally through the work of the Holy Spirit.

We must then, according to my view, have recourse to the word of
salvation neither from fear of punishment nor promise of a gift, but on account of the
good itself.

k. The Gnostic is a spiritual king.

And in truth, the kingly man and Christian ought to be ruler and
leader. For we are commanded to be lords over not only the wild beasts without us, but
also over the wild passions within ourselves.

l. The Gnostic who is Christ-like cannot hate any man;
for he has no enmity to men, but to the Devil, sin and heresy.

And who could with any reason become the enemy of a man who gives no
cause for enmity in any way? And is it not just as in the case of God? We say that God is
the adversary of no one, and the enemy of no one (for He is the Creator of all, and
nothing that exists is what He wills it not to be; but we assert that the disobedient, and
those who walk not according to His commandments, are enemies to Him, as being those who
are hostile to His covenant).

We shall find the very same to be the case with the Gnostic, for he can
never in any way become an enemy to any one; but those may be regarded enemies to him who
turn to the contrary path.

He never remembers those who sinned against him, but forgives them.
Wherefore also he righteously prays, saying, "Forgive us; for we also forgive"
(Matt. 6:12; Luke 11:4). For this also is one of the things which God wishes, to covet
nothing, to hate no one. For all men are the work of one will.

m. The Gnostic is satisfied by his Savior.

He who has God resting in him will not desire naught else. At once
leaving all hindrances, and despising all matter which distracts him, he cleaves to heaven
by knowledge.

11. The moral tendencies

J. Lebreton states, "About the same date, Tertullian was given at
Carthage the same moral teaching. But there was a great difference between them:
Tertullian adopted a more vigorous treatment; he found, not in books, but in life itself
the faults and follies he opposed, and he condemned them with such harshness that he often
ran the risk of wounding those he wished to heal. The priests of Alexandria did not
display the passionate ardor of the priests at Carthage, nor did he speak with the same
tragic accent. He denounced with a polite smile the follies of the worldly life; he had a
very just sense of decency and of what was fitting in Christians; and in him the noble
human ideal, set forth by the best of the pagans, and traced out once more after them, has
been transformed by the ideal model, the Christ, who projects His divine light upon all
our life. These characteristics, so plainly brought out in the whole of the first book (of
the Paidagogos), appear once more at the end of the work, where they are set forth
in full light:

O let us foster a blessed discipline of teaching! Let us complete in
ourselves the beauty of the Church, and as little children let us run to our good Mother.
Even when we have become the hearers of the Word, let us glorify the blessed dispensation
by which man has been brought up; he is sanctified as a child of God, and the education he
receives on earth makes him a citizen of the heavens; there he finds the Father whom he
has learnt to know upon earth; and all this formation, this teaching, this education,
comes to us from the Word... To complete this praise of the Word, it remains for us to
pray to Him. Be propitious to your children, O pedagogue, Father, Horseman of Israel,
Father and Son, both one single thing, and Lord! Grant to us that by following your
commandments we may complete the likeness of the image, and to realize as much as we can
that God is good, and not a severe judge. Grant us to live in your peace, to be
transported to your city, crossing without shipwreck the ocean of sin, and wafted on by
the sweet breeze of the Holy Spirit, who is ineffable wisdom, night and day, until the
dawn of the eternal day, singing a song of thanksgiving to the one Father and Son, Son and
Father, to the Son our tutor and master, with the Holy Spirit. All to the One, in whom are
all things and by whom all are one, by whom is eternity, of whom we are all members, to
whom is glory and the ages. All to Him who is good all to Him who is wise, to Him who is
just, all to Him! To Him be glory now and forever, Amen!

12. CHARITY AND LOVE

When St. Clement speaks of love, especially towards our enemies, he
knows that its cost is very expensive, but we practise it for the sake of our Christ to be
in His likeness, and through this sacrifice we are considered as martyrs.

You have got a compendious account of the Gnostic martyr.

For the Gnostic, love is his fortress, in which he is
protected from sinning, and even if he falls in sin, through love he has hope in His
Savior to attain forgiveness of his sins.

Love permits not to sin; but if it fall into any such case, by
reason of the interference of the adversary, in imitation of David, it will sing: " I
will confess unto the Lord, and it will please Him above a young bullock that has horns
and hoofs. Let the poor see it, and be glad." For he says, " Sacrifice to God a
sacrifice of praise, and pay to the Lord your vows; and call upon Me in the day of
trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Ps. 50:14, 15). "For
the sacrifice of God is a broken spirit" (Ps. 51:17).

"God," then, being good, "is love" (1 John
4:8,16)...

Whose "love works no ill to his neighbor," neither injuring
nor revenging ever, but, in a word, doing good to all according to the image of God
becomes like Christ.

"Love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:10)...

By love, then, the commands not to commit adultery, and not to covet
one's neighbor's wife, are fulfilled, [these sins being] formerly prohibited by fear.

It is God Himself who has brought our race to possession in common, by
sharing Himself, first of all, and by sending His Word to all men alike, and by making all
things for all. Therefore, everything is common, and the rich should not grasp a greater
share. The expression, then, 'I own something, and have more than enough; why should I not
enjoy it?' is not worthy of man nor does it indicate any community feeling. The other
expression does, however: 'I have something, why should I not share it with those in
need?' Such a one is perfect, and fulfills the command: 'You shall love your neighbor as
thyself' (Matt. 19:19).

It is unbecoming that one man live in luxury when there are so many who
labor in poverty. How much more honorable it is to serve many than to live in wealth! How
much more reasonable it is to spend money on men than on stones and gold! How much more
useful to have friends as our ornamentation than lifeless decorations! Who can derive more
benefit from lands than from practising kindness?

An Agape is in reality heavenly food, a banquet of the Word.

But there is another sort of beauty for men: charity.

Lavishness is not capable of being enjoyed alone; it must be bestowed
upon others.

That is why we should shy away from foods that arouse the appetite and
lead us to eat when we are not hungry. Even in moderate frugality, is there not a rich and
wholesome variety?

If anyone object that the great High Priest, the Lord, offers up to God
incense of sweet odor(Eph. 5:2), let this not be understood as the sacrifice and good odor
of incense, but as the acceptable gift of love, a spiritual fragrance on the altar, that
the Lord offers up.

13. CONTEMPLATIVE LIVE

AND

ACTIVE LIFE

St. Clement believes that the greatest lesson is to contemplate on
one's self by the work of the Holy Spirit who reveals the kingdom of God within the
believer, and illuminates his sight to acknowledge the divine love. Thus the believer can
attain the likeness of Christ.

It is then, as appears, the greatest of all lessons to know one's self.
For if one knows himself, he will know God; and knowing God, he will be made like God.

"In contemplative life, one in worshipping God attends to
himself, and through his own spotless purification beholds the holy God reverently, for
self-control, being present, surveying and contemplating itself uninterruptedly, is as far
as possible assimilated to God."

14. WISDOM

St. Clement asks us to be wise through attaining the knowledge of God,
of our nature and of oneself.

Wisdom, in its perfection, is the understanding of things human and
divine, and includes all things; therefore, it is the art of living in that it presides
over the human race. In that way, it is everywhere present wherever we live, ever
accomplishing its work, which is living well.

Wisdom creates an unceasing desire for learning, as it is written in
the Book of Wisdom (6:12-20).

For he (Solomon) teaches, as I think, that true instruction is
desire for knowledge, and the practical exercise of instruction produces love of
knowledge. And love is the keeping of the commandments which lead to knowledge. And the
keeping of them is the establishment of the commandments, from which immortality results.
"And immortality brings us near to God."

St. Clement states that the teaching of Christ is the source of wisdom
and truth.

The proof of the truth being with us, is the fact of the Son of God
Himself having taught us... For the Son of God is the person of the truth which is
exhibited; and the subject is the power of faith, which prevails over the opposition of
everyone whatever, and the assault of the whole world.

15. EXTRAVAGANCE OR LUXURY

St. Clement believes that moderate life in Jesus Christ is the royal
way that leads us to heaven. He exhorts us not to live in luxury, nor to indulge in
extravagance. At the same time, food, clothes, furniture should be appropriate to the
individual, his age, his work, and the particular occasion. The best wealth is poverty of
desires. Extravagance is unreasonable, contrary to the Logos.

A middle course is good in all things, and no less so in serving a
banquet. Extremes, in fact, are dangerous, but the mean is good, and all that avoids dire
need is a mean. Natural desires have a limit set to them by self-sufficiency.

a. Concerning food: St. Clement deals with "Food and
Drink" in Paidagogos 2:1,2. Concerning food, he says that we are to eat to
live, not to live to eat. Our diet should be simple, directed to growth, health, and
controlled energy. Avoid elaboration; avoid excess. We should not forget how much the love
(agape)-feast, the taking of a common meal together, meant to the early church at
least till the third century. Dont eat and drink at the same time; they dont
go together. Concerning drink, "A little wine for your stomachs sake" (1
Tim. 5,23). All right, but it is a small dose for strictly medicinal purposes. Otherwise,
water is best, and the young should certainly abstain from wine; theyre hotheaded
enough already! Besides wine swells the sex organs and encourages sexual curiosity. For
the 18-30 age-group, he advocates moderation. The older are permitted freer refreshment,
provided they keep the mind clear, the memory active, and the body under control. Wine is
dangerous, and Clement cites Aristotle and a doctor named Artorius as authorities for his
statement. He also says that women should not reveal too much of their bodies: its a
risky business for the men who are attracted by the sight, and for the women who are
aiming to attract them. And drunkenness, to return to the point, is out.

You will never be able to become wise' if you indulge in such
extravagance, burying your mind deep in your belly; you will resemble the so-called
ass-fish which Aristotle claims is the only living thing which has its heart in its
stomach, and which the comic poet Epicharmis entitles 'the huge-bellied.' Such are the men
who trust in their belly, 'whose god is their belly, whose glory is their shame, who mind
the things of earth.'' For such men the Apostle makes a prediction foreboding nothing
good, for he concludes: 'whose end is ruin' (Phil. 3:19).

God has provided food and drink for His creature, I mean man, not for
his dissipation, but for his welfare. It is a natural law that the body is not benefited
by excessively rich food; quite the contrary, those who live on simpler foods are stronger
and healthier and more alert, as servants are, for example, in comparison with their
masters, or farmer-tenants in comparison with their landlords.

We have been created, not to eat and drink, but to come to the
knowledge of God. 'The just man,' Scripture says, 'eats and fills his soul; but the belly
of the wicked is ever in want' (Prov. 13:25), ever hungry with a greed that cannot be
quenched.

Other men, indeed, live that they may eat, just like unreasoning
beasts; for them life is only their belly (Cf. Phil. 3:19). But as for us, our Educator
has given the command that we eat only to live. Eating is not our main occupation, nor is
pleasure our chief ambition. Food is permitted us simply because of our stay in this
world, which the Word is shaping for immortality by His education. Our food should be
plain and ungarnished, in keeping with the truth, suitable to children who are plain and
unpretentious, adapted to maintaining life, not self-indulgence.

b. Concerning clothes:

We should not seek for expensive clothes, either, any more than for
elaborate dishes. In fact, the Lord Himself set Himself to give special counsel for the
soul, for the body and for a third class, external things, all separately. He advises that
external things were to be provided for the body, the body to be governed by the soul, and
then instructs the soul: 'Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat nor for your
body, what you shall put on. The life is more than the meat, and the body is more than the
raiment.

I maintain that man needs clothing only for bodily covering, as a
protection against excessive cold or intense heat, so that the inclemency of the weather
may not harm him in any way. If that is the purpose of clothes, then one kind of garment
surely should not be provided for men and another for women...

If someone should remind us of the full-length robe of the Lord, [we
reply that] His multicolored tunic really represents the brilliance of wisdom, the
manifold and unfading value of Scripture, words of the Lord that glow with rays of truth.
For this reason, the Spirit clothed the Lord with another similar garment when it said in
the psalm of David: 'I will put on praise and beauty, clothed with light as with a
garment' (Ps. 103:1.)

Therefore, we must avoid any irregularity in the type of garment we
choose. We must also guard against all way wardness in our use of them. For instance, it
is not right for a woman to wear her dress up over her knees, as the Laconian maidens are
said to do, because a woman should not expose any part of her body.

Dignity in dress comes not from adding to what is worn, but from
eliminating all that is superfluous. The unnecessary luxuries that women wear, in fact,
like tail-feathers, must be clipped off, because they give rise only to shifting vanity
and senseless pleasure. Because of such vanity and pleasure, women become flighty and vain
as peacocks, and even desert their husbands. Therefore, we should take care that the women
are attired properly, and clothed abundantly in the modesty of self-restraint, so that
they will not break away from the truth through vanity.

Let the clothes be in keeping with the person's age, with the
individual himself, the place, his character, and occupation. The Apostle well advises us:
'Put on Christ Jesus, and as for the flesh, take no thought of its lusts' (Rom. 13:14).

c. Concerning perfumes and adornment with crowns of flowers:

This matter includes a long and rambling section, which occupies rather
more than an eighth of the whole second book of the Paidagogos, and makes one
realize that this way of living, is an existential issue among the Christians of
Alexandria. St. Clement begins with a direct pellucid assertion: "There is no
necessity for us to use garlands and perfumes.." The rest of the chapter works
this out, starting, with a good deal of symbolism, allusion, and wordplay, from the sinner
who poured the ointment over Jesus. Christmas symbolizes the Christ. Precious stones
allude to the Logos, and gold, the symbol of royalty, to him in his changelessness.
Christian men need only the odor of goodness, women the royal unctions of Christ. In the
literal sense, unguents have their uses. In moderation they can please without
overwhelming the senses; they can keep off insects; they have their use in athletics. To
use flowers for garlands is to exploit them; the flower and its beauty wither. It is a
fine passage for any concerned with defense of the environment. Symbolism breaks through
again. The husband is the wifes garland, marriage is the husbands garland,
children are for both the flowers of marriage, God is the gardener of the fields of the
flesh, Christ is the garland of the church. The wreath symbolizes freedom from care; hence
its use for the dead. Further, to make wreaths of flowers for our living is to mock the
Saviors crown of thorns.

Besides, it is inconsistent for us who celebrate the holy suffering
of the Lord, who know that He was crowned with thorns, to crown ourselves with flowers.
The crown the Lord wore is a figure of ourselves who were once barren, but now encircle
Him as a garland through His Church, of which He is the head. That crown is also a type of
our faith: it is a type of life, through the substance of wood; of joy, because it is a
crown; of trial, because it is a crown of thorns, and no one can approach the Word without
shedding blood. But the other crown, the one intertwined [with flowers], withers away; a
wreathe of wickedness, it falls apart and its flowers fade, just as the beauty of those
who do not believe in the Lord withers away.

d. Concerning adornment with precious stones and gems:

Tradition assures us that the heavenly Jerusalem that is above
is built up of holy gems and we know that the twelve gates of the heavenly city, which
signify the wonderful beauty of apostolic teaching, are compared to precious jewels. These
priceless stones are described as possessing certain colors which are themselves precious,
while the rest is left of an earthy substance. To say that the city of the saints is built
of such jewels, even though it is a spiritual edifice, is a cogent symbol indeed. By the
incomparable brilliance of the gems is understood the spotless and holy brilliance of the
substance of the spirit.

e. Concerning women's earrings:

The ears of women should not be pierced, either, to enable them
to suspend earrings and ear pendants from them. It is contrary to nature. It is wrong to
do violence to nature in a way nature does not intend. Surely, there is no better ornament
for the ears than learning the truth, nor is there any that enters the ears in as natural
a way. Eyes anointed by the Word and ears pierced to hear are ready to contemplate holy
things and to hear divine things. It is only the Word who reveals true beauty which eye
has never seen before, nor has ear heard.

f. Concerning the beauty of the body:

J. Lebreton says, "We find even here the moderation of the
moralist: he allows women to adorn themselves to please their husbands, but they ought
"gradually to lead them to simplicity, by accustoming them little by little to
greater moderation".

The Spirit gives witness through Isaiah that even the Lord became an
unsightly spectacle: 'And we saw Him, and there was no beauty or comeliness in Him, but
His form was despised, and abject among men' (Isa. 53:2 Septuagint). Yet, who is better
than the Lord? He displayed not beauty of the flesh, which is only outward appearance, but
the true beauty of body and soul: for the soul, the beauty of good deeds; for the body,
that of immortality.

It is not the appearance of the outer man that should be made
beautiful, but his soul, with the ornament of true virtue. It should be possible, too, to
speak of an ornament for his body, the ornament of self-control.

But women, busy in making their appearances beautiful, allowing the
interior to lie uncultivated, are in reality decorating themselves, without realizing it,
like Egyptian temples. The entrances and vestibules of these temples are elaborately
ornamented, the sacred groves and meadows are cultivated, the halls are adorned with huge
columns, and the walls, each covered with some highly finished painting, glitter with rare
jewels. The temples themselves are studded over with gold and silver and electrum, and
sparkled with gems from India and Ethiopia which cover them, while the inner sanctuary is
curtained off by an overhanging gold-embroidered veil. But if, anxious to see the lord of
such a temple, you pass beyond into the interior of the sacred precincts, seeking the god
that dwells in the temple, a pastophore or some other hierophant will look sharply about
the sacred shrine, chant a hymn in the Egyptian tongue, and then draw back a bit of the
veil that you might see his god, but he reveals an object of veneration that is utterly
absurd. There is no god within, whom we were so anxiously looking for; there is only a
cat, or a crocodile, or a snake native to the land, or some other similar animal suited
for life in a cave or den or in the mud, but certainly not in a temple. The god of the
Egyptians, then, turns out to be only a beast curled up on a rich purple pillow.

Women who are loaded down with gold seem to me much like that temple.
They carefully curl their locks, paint their cheeks, stencil under their eyes, anxiously
dye their hair, and practise perversely all the other senseless arts; true imitators of
the Egyptians, they adorn the enclosure of the flesh to lure lovers who stand in
superstitious dread of the goddess. But, if anyone draw back the veil of this temple, I
mean the hairnet and the dye and the garments and gold and rouge and cosmetics - or the
cloth woven of all these things, which is a veil-- if he draws back this veil to discover
the true beauty that is within, I am sure he will be disgusted. He will not find dwelling
within any worthy image of God, but, instead, a harlot and adulteress who has usurped the
inner sanctuary of the soul. The beauty within will turn out to be nothing more than a
beast, 'an ape painted up with powder;' as a deceitful serpent, it will devour man's
intellect with love of ornaments and make the soul its den. Filling the whole soul with
its deadly drug and vomiting out the poison of its deception, this serpent-seducer has
transformed women into harlots (for gaudy vanity bespeaks not the woman, but the harlot )
.

Such women have little care for managing household expenses for their
husbands. Rather, they unloose the strings of their husbands' purses and waste their
fortunes on their own desires, that they might win for themselves a host of admirers
charmed by their cultivated appearances.

In his moderation, St. Clement advises women to take care of their
beauty by practising works.

Beauty is the natural flower of health; the latter works within the
body, while the former manifests the state of the flourishing organism which is unfolding
itself. Accordingly, the best and most healthy activities, by exercising the body, produce
healthy and lasting beauty.

Work gives true beauty to women, it exercises their bodies, and
embellishes them naturally, not indeed with the vesture which comes from the labor of
others, a vesture without charm and good for slaves and courtesans, but with the vesture
which a good woman weaves for herself by the labor of her hands.

g. Concerning sleeping and the softness of the bed:

Practicing moderation needs a largely vegetarian diet, and early to bed
without waiting for the others.

But we must specially keep the softness of the bed within limits,
for sleep is meant to relax the body, not to debilitate it. For that reason, I say that
sleep should be taken not as self-indulgence, but as rest from activity.

h. Concerning laughing:

St. Clement wants his laughter under control; he is afraid of
degeneration into obscenity; he doesnt mind mild pleasantries, and prefers the smile
to the belly-laugh. In this section (Paidagogos 2:2) he quotes Homer more than the Bible.
The overall result is to make us wonder how much we, who inevitably rely on written
sources, really know about ancient humor.

16. POVERTY OF HEART

Poverty of heart is the true wealth (Matt. 5:3), and the
true nobility is not that founded on riches, but that which comes from a contempt for it.
It is disgraceful to boast about one's possessions; not to be concerned about them any
longer very clearly proves the just man. Anyone who wishes can buy such things from the
market; but wisdom is bought, not with any earthly coin, nor in any market, but is
acquired in heaven, at a good price: the incorruptible Word, the gold of kings.

17. AWAKENESS

He who has the most respect for life and for reason will stay awake
as long as he can, reserving only as much time for sleep as his health demands; much sleep
is not required, if the habit of moderation be once rightly formed.

The care of discipline begets a constant alertness in our labors.
Therefore, food ought not to make us heavy but enliven us so that sleep will harm us as
little as possible. Incidentally, how capable a winless meal is of lifting one from the
very depths to the peak of wakefulness! Falling asleep, indeed, is like dying, because it
renders our minds and our senses inactive, and, when we close our eyes, shuts out the
light of day. So, let us who are the sons of the true light not shut out that light, but,
turning within into ourselves casting light upon the vision of the inner man, let us
contemplate truth itself, welcome its rays and discover with clarity and insight what is
the truth of dreams.

When we do manage to keep awake the greater part of the night, we
should not allow ourselves, for any consideration, to take a nap during the day.

It is not the soul that needs sleep ( for it is ever-active ); the body
becomes relaxed when it takes its rest, and the soul ceases to operate in any bodily way,
but continues to operate mentally in keeping with its nature...

The soul, then, ever keeping its thoughts on God and attributing those
thoughts to the body by its constant association with it, makes man equal to the angels in
their loveliness. So, from its practise of wakefulness, it obtains eternal life.

18. LOVE AND FEAR OF GOD

The Gnostics, true members of the Church, accept the divine call of
sanctity not in fear of punishment or for enjoyment of earthly recompense but because they
love goodness for itself as they become gods (in image of God).

But he who obeys the mere call, as he is called, neither for fear,
nor for enjoyments, is on his way to knowledge (gnosis)... It is possible for the Gnostic
already to have become god. "I said, you are gods, and sons of the highest" (Ps.
132:6).

Faith is the outward acceptance of God out of fear and respect, which
leads us to His love. St. Clement claims that faith must be followed by fear and hope,
which lead to love and finally to a "true gnosis."

The Christian's calling is to love the Creator in His creatures. Love
is the basic principal by which the Logos educates His children, unlike the education of
the Old Dispensation which is based on fear. However, the Savior administers not only mild
but also stringent medicines because God is at the same time good and just and as a
successful tutor balances goodness with punishment. Gods righteousness and love do
not contradict each other. St. Clement refers here to the heretical doctrine of the
Marcionites that the God of the Old Testament is not the same as that of the New. Fear is
good if it protects against sin:

Such a fear, accordingly, leads to repentance and hope. Now hope is
the expectation of good things, or an expectation sanguine of absent good; and favorable
circumstances are assumed in order to good hope, which we have learned leads on to love.

The bitter roots of fear arrest the eating sores of our sins. Wherefore
also fear is salutary, if bitter. Sick, we truly stand in the need of the Savior; having
wandered, of one to guide us; blind, of one to lead us to light; thirsty, of the fountain
of life of which whosoever partakes shall no longer thirst (John 4,13-14); dead, we need
life; sheep, we need a shepherd; we who are children need a tutor while universal humanity
stands in need of Jesus... You may learn if you will the crowning wisdom of the all-holy
Shepherd and Tutor, of the omnipotent and paternal Word, when He figuratively represents
Himself as the Shepherd of the sheep. And He is the Tutor of the children. He says
therefore by Ezechiel directing His discourse to the elders and setting before them a
salutary description of His wise solicitude: "And that which is lame I will bind up,
and that which is sick I will heal, and that which has wandered I will turn back; and I
will feed them on my holy mountain" (Ez. 34,14,16). Such are the promises of the good
Shepherd.

Feed us, the children, as sheep. Yea, Master, fill us with
righteousness. Your own pasture; yea, O Tutor, feed us on Your holy mountain the Church,
which towers aloft, which is above the clouds, which touches heaven.

Notice how the justice of the Educator is manifest in His chastisements
and the goodness of God in His mercies. That is why David, or rather, the Spirit through
him, includes both when he says, in the psalm, of the same God: 'Justice and judgment are
the preparation of Your throne. Mercy and truth shall go before Your face' (Ps. 88:15).

In another place St. Clement mentions the fear and love as essential in
our spiritual progress.

Righteous conduct also is twofold:

that which is done for love,

and that which is done through fear.

For indeed, it is said, "The fear of the Lord is pure, remaining
forever and ever" (Ps. 18 [19]:10). Those who, because of fear, turn to faith and
righteousness, remain forever. Fear does, in fact, motivate to abstaining from evil; but
love, building up to free action, exhorts to the doing of good.

The material He educates us in is fear of God, for this fear instructs
us in the service of God, educates to the knowledge of truth, and guides by a path leading
straight up to heaven.

How can we gain true love? The answer is: By receiving the Logos
Himself, the divine flame of love!

The heavenly and true love comes to men thus, when in the soul
itself the spark of true goodness, kindled in the soul by the Divine Word, is able to
burst forth into flame; and what is of the highest importance, salvation runs parallel
with sincere willingness - choice and life being, so to speak, yoked together.

19. ABORTION

But women who resort to some sort of deadly abortion drug
kill not only the embryo but, along with it, all human kindness.

20. Sins and Penance

According to St. Clement, the sin of Adam was his refusal to be
educated by God and has been inherited by all human beings not through procreation but
through the bad example given by the first man. Clement is convinced that only a personal
act can stain the soul. He agrees with Hermas that there should be only one penance in the
life of a Christian, that preceding baptism, but that God, out of mercy for human
weakness, has granted a second, which can be obtained only once. He distinguishes between
voluntary and involuntary sins which can be forgiven. Those who commit voluntary sins
after baptism must fear the judgment of God. A complete break with God after baptism
cannot be forgiven. However, in reality St. Clement does not exclude any sin for its
greatness from the second repentance.

He who has received the forgiveness of sins ought to sin no more.
For in addition to the first and only repentance from sins (that is from the previous sins
in the first and heathen life - I mean that in ignorance), there is forth-with proposed to
those who have been called, the repentance which cleanses the seat of the soul from
transgressions, that faith may be established. And the Lord, knowing the heart, and
foreknowing the future, foresaw both the fickleness of man and the craft and subtlety of
the devil from the first, from the beginning; how that, envying man for the forgiveness of
sins, he would present to the servants of God certain causes of sins, skillfully working
mischief, that they might all together align with himself. Accordingly, being very
merciful, He has vouchsafed, in the case of those who, though in faith, fall into any
transgression, a second repentance, so that should any one be tempted after his calling,
overcome by force and fraud, he may receive still a repentance not to be repented of. 'For
if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains
no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking-for of judgment and fiery
indignation, which shall devour the adversaries' (Hebr. 10,26-27). But continual and
successive repentings for sins differ nothing from the case of those who have not believed
at all, except only in their consciousness that they do sin. And I know not which of the
two is worst, whether the case of a man who sins knowingly, or of one who, after having
repented of his sins, transgresses again.

He then who from among the Gentiles and from that old life has
betaken himself to faith, has obtained forgiveness of sins once. But he who has sinned
after this, on his repentance, though he obtains pardon, ought to fear, as one no longer
washed to the forgiveness of sins. For not only must he abandon the idols which he
formerly held as gods, but the works also of his former life must be abandoned by him who
has been 'born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh' (John I:I3) but in the
Spirit; which consists in repenting by not giving way to the same fault. For frequent
repentance and readiness to change easily from want of training, is the practice of sin
again. The frequent asking of forgiveness then for those things in which we often
transgress is the semblance of repentance, not repentance itself.

St. Clement distinguishes in these passages between voluntary and
involuntary sins. He is of the opinion that of sins committed after baptism only those
that are involuntary sins can be forgiven. Those who commit voluntary sins after baptism
must fear the judgment of God.

21. The Holy Kiss

If we have been called to the kingdom of God, let us live worthy of
that kingdom by loving God and our neighbor. Love is judged not by a kiss, but by good
will. There are some who make the assembly resound with nothing but their kisses
while there is no love in their hearts.

We should realize that the unrestrained use of the kiss has brought it
under grave suspicion and slander. It should be thought of in a mystical sense (the
Apostle speaks of it as holy [Cf. Rom 16:16; 1 Cor. 16 :20) . Let us, instead, taste the
kingdom with a mouth that is chaste and self-controlled, and practice good will in heart,
for this is the way a chaste character is developed.

There is another kiss that is unholy and full of poison, under the
guise of holiness. Do you not realize that just as a poisonous spider touches a man only
with its mouth, yet inflicts pain, so the kiss often injects the poison of lust? It is
clear to us that the kiss is not charity, 'for charity is of God' (1 John 4:7).

22. RICHES

Therefore, it is not he who possesses and retains his
wealth who is wealthy, but he who gives; it is giving, not receiving that reveals the
happy man. Generosity is a product of the soul; so, true wealth is in the soul.

Generally speaking, riches that are not under complete control are the
citadel of evil. If the ordinary people look on them covetously, they will never enter the
kingdom of heaven, because they are letting themselves become contaminated by the things
of this world and are living above themselves in self-indulgence.

Holiness and that kind of reason which is more precious than any
treasure are the true wealth, and are not increased by cattle or lands but are given by
God. It cannot be taken away ( for the soul alone is the treasure of such a man), and is a
possession that is supreme for him who owns it, making him blessed in possessing the
truth.

23. THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND EVIL

The Alexandrian Fathers in their controversy with the heretical
Gnostics dealt with Divine Providence and its relation to evil. They had to answer the
following question:

2. How do we explain the temptations to which Christians are exposed
and the triumph of unrighteousness in persecuting them?

3. How do we explain the existence of evil in a world governed by
Divine Providence ?

I. THE WORLD AND EVIL

The Gnostics regarded the world as intrinsically evil, but the
Alexandrian Fathers, especially St. Clement considered the world a divine gift to man,
governed by the providence of God. It is the best of all possible worlds. God loves
everything He created and hates nothing. Truly it is just a bridge for man to pass over
into eternity and enjoy heavenly glories, but it is formed by the gracious God who creates
no evil.

Floyd says: [Like the Gnostics, Clement conceded a gap between the
Supreme Being and the visible world, but unlike them he saw it bridged by God Himself
instead of by intermediary beings or demons. By the incarnation, on one hand, God entered
the world as a human being, and on the other hand, by His example, passion, and death, He
"pointed the path" towards unity with Him through grace. According to the
Gnostics there is no solution at all for the relation between God and the world.

This is the highest excellence which orders all things in accordance
with the Father's will and holds the helm of the universe in the best way, with unwearied
and tireless power, working all things in which it operates, keeping in view its hidden
designs.

II. MATTER AND EVIL

St. Clement of Alexandria opposes the Marconites who said that matter
is evil; on the contrary, he declares that it is under the control of God; everything
created by the Good God is good, even riches...

Wealth is like a tool which may be used skillfully or the reverse; it
may be a servant of righteousness or unrighteousness. The words of Christ to the rich
young man in Mark 10:17-31 are not to be understood in a carnal sense, but we must seek to
penetrate their innermost meaning.

It is not the outward act, but something else indicated by it,
greater, more godlike, more perfect, the stripping off of the passions from the soul
itself and from the disposition, and the cutting up by the roots and casting out of what
is alien to the mind...

Riches which also benefit our neighbors, are not to be thrown away...

If you use (wealth) skillfully, it is skillful; if you are deficient in
skill, it is affected by your want of skill, being itself destitute of blame, such an
instrument is wealth. Are you able to make the right use of it ? It is subservient to
righteousness. Does one make a wrong use of it ? It is, then, a minister of wrong. For its
nature is to be subservient not to rule. That then, which of itself has neither good nor
evil, being blameless, ought not to be blamed; but that which has the power of using it
well or ill, by reason of its possessing voluntary choice. And this is the mind and
judgment of man which has freedom in himself and self-determination in the treatment of
what is assigned to it.

So, let no man destroy wealth, rather the passions of the soul, which
are incompatible with the better use of wealth. So that, becoming virtuous and good, he
may be able to make good use of these riches.

III. MAN'S BODY AND EVIL

Marcion considered the body of man, being formed of matter, as evil by
nature; it is an enemy of the soul. Plato looked upon it as the grave of the soul. On the
contrary, the Alexandrian Fathers-perhaps except Origen - had a sanctified view of the
body, for the following reasons:

a. It is created by God, who is Good, and created no evil. He hates
nothing, even the body, but loves all which He created.

b. The body is the instrument, the seat and the possession of the soul.

c. As a dwelling-place of the soul, it shares with her the
sanctification wrought by the Holy Spirit, and man as a whole - body and soul - will be
glorified in the world to come.

d. The harmony of the body contributes to the goodly disposition of the
soul and of the mind.

e. The Word of God assumed our humanity in its true meaning and
received a real body to declare the sanctification of our bodies. He became Man that He
might speak with the mouth of a man. He did not despise our body which He took for
Himself, assumed it to Himself as a proof of the essential worth of mankind (the whole
human nature), matter and the world.

Those, then, who look upon created matter and vilify the body are
wrong; not considering that the frame of man was formed erect for the contemplation of
heaven, and that the organization of the senses tends to knowledge; and that the members
and parts are arranged for good, not for pleasure. This abode becomes receptive of the
soul which is most precious to God; and is dignified with the Holy Spirit through the
sanctification of soul and body, perfected with the perfection of the Savior. And the
succession of the three virtues is found in the Gnostic (a believer who has spiritual
gnosis or knowledge), who morally, physically and logically occupies himself with God...

The soul is not good by nature, nor on the other hand, is the body bad
by nature...

God improves all things to the good, but the soul which has chosen the
best life, the life that is from God and righteousness - changes earth to heaven.

The harmonious mechanism of the body contributes to
understanding, which leads to goodness of nature...

He who in the body has devoted himself to a good life, is being sent on
to the state of immortality.

IV. AFFLICTION AND EVIL

According to the Gnostics, the problem of evil was insoluble.
There was no explanation for the existence of evil in the world and afflictions which the
believers suffer unjustly by persecutors in a world governed by the Almighty and Good God,
where nothing takes place without His Good will. St. Clement of Alexandria and other
Alexandrian Fathers offer the solution, in the following points:

a. The existence of evil does not contradict the divine providence or
the goodness of God, for through this providence man attains free will, one of the best
divine gifts. Therefore God does not prevent evil, but he does not cause it. The
responsibility lies with him who makes a choice; God is not responsible.

Osborn says:

Clement states the problem and gives his answer. God did not will that
our Lord and the martyrs should suffer. Yet nothing ever happens which is not God's will.

"The only possible solution left, expressed concisely, is that
such things happen without the prevention of God. Only this preserves the providence and
the goodness of God. We must not think that God actively causes our affliction. That is
quite unthinkable; but we should be of the conviction that He does not prevent those who
cause them.

A distinction is here made between what God causes and what happens
without God's prevention. It would be inconsistent with God's providence and goodness for
Him to cause evil. But it is not inconsistent with the providence and goodness of God for
evil things to happen without his prevention.

Good things are caused by God. Evil things happen without his
prevention...

Therefore what prevents is a cause, while what does not prevent judges
the soul's choice justly; so that God is never in any way responsible for the evil in our
lives. The causes of sins are choice and desire. Not that any one voluntarily chooses
evil, but, pleasure deludes one into thinking that something bad is good and desirable. It
is in our own power to avoid ignorance. The choice of what is base and pleasant and the
deceptions of the devil.

Despite the activity of the devil, God orders all things from above for
good. Nothing can oppose God, nothing can stand against Him, for He is the Almighty Lord.
The thoughts and deeds of the rebellious are partial and spring from a bad disposition.
Though they originate in a diseased condition the universal providence steers them to a
healthy conclusion...

A modern thinker has said, "Without freedom to choose evil, or the
lower good, a man might be a well-behaved puppet or a sentient automaton, but not a moral
agent. But the best possible world implies the existence of moral agents; its crown cannot
be the puppet or the automaton.

b. God does not prevent those who cause afflictions, for He bestows
upon men free will, but He transforms their evil choice into good. He did not prevent the
folly of the Cross, but brought good out of it.

Osborn says:

God does not prevent his adversaries from doing evil but "He uses
up for good the wrongs which his adversaries have dared against Him". Clement quotes
Isaiah 5:5: "I shall destroy the wall and it shall become a trampling-ground".
This verse refers to the vineyard which produced brambles instead of grapes. God did not
destroy it but removed the wall which had protected it. Animals were no longer prevented
from trampling the vines under foot. Their trampling, though an act of aggression and
destruction, was to have benificial results. The brambles would be destroyed and the
vineyard would be cleared of its wrong contents. God uses the crimes of the enemies of his
vineyard for the benefit of the vineyard. For providence, as Clement goes on to say, is a
form of correction, which benefits those who experience it.

There are other ways in which God turns evil into good. Philosophy is
the result of a crime, wisdom was stolen from God, but God turned theft to good account.

It is the chief work of divine providence not to allow the evil
which results from willful revolt to remain useless and unprofitable and to become
altogether harmful. For it is the function of the Divine wisdom and virtue and power not
only to do good (for this is the nature of God, so to speak, as that of fire is to heat
and that to light is to give light), but also and above all to a good and useful end what
has happened through the evils contrived by any, and to use to good account things which
appear to be bad, as is the testimony which proceeds from temptation .

24. The Goodness of the world

Henry Chadwick says,

On the question of the creation Clement firmly rejects the idea that
the world is eternal or that it is created in time. He does not deny the existence of a
qualityless matter as raw material and (like Philo and Justin) speaks with an ambiguous
voice on creation ex nihilo...

It is enough to say that nothing exists in being which is not caused by
God, and that there is no part of His creation which falls outside His care. Once he
declares that 'God was God before becoming Creator, i.e. that the world is not
necessary to God.

St. Clement of Alexandria believed that God created everything good,
therefore He loved everything and hated nothing. By grace we also have God's view of
everything, to find that everything in the world is good and beautiful. Evil and sin are
strange to the world that God created, therefore we can truly have the same feelings of
St. Clement that our world is the most beautiful world that can ever exist.

We praise God for creating the world for our sake, but we must not be
enslaved to the love of the world.

Divine Scripture, addressing itself to those who love themselves and
to the boastful, somewhere says most excellently: "Where are the princes of the
nations, and those who rule over the beasts which are upon the earth; they that take their
diversion among the birds of the air; they that hoard up silver, and the gold in which men
trust - and there is no end to their acquiring it; they that work in silver and in gold
and are solicitous? There is no searching of their works; they have vanished and have gone
down into Hades."

25. Wealth

The pagan author Celsus accuses Christians of being credulous and
illiterate and gives the impression that they all come from the lowest stratum of society:
they are woolworkers, shoemakers, washer-women, he says, who succeed in attracting to
their absurd beliefs only those who are equally ignorant and low-born. It was towards the
end of the second century that St. Clement of Alexandria produced his "Who is the
Rich Man that shall be Saved?" perhaps at the behest of a rather large number of
wealthy Alexandrian Christians who were worrying that they would have to divest themselves
of their material goods in order to be saved. We have already seen St. Clement's view of
wealth, when dealing with this work.

26. MUSIC

Early Christian attitudes toward music were at first ambivalent. St.
Clement of Alexandria was opposed to the use of instruments, though St. Basil of Caesarea
believed music had an educational value, "that through the softness of the sound we
might unaware receive what is useful in the words." Jerome speaks of the office of a
cantor who was to lead in song.

The Spirit, to purify the divine liturgy from any such unrestrained
revelry, chants: Praise Him with sound of trumpet" (Ps. 150:3-6), for, in fact,
at the sound of the trumpet the dead will rise again; 'praise Him with harp,' for the
tongue is a harp of the Lord; 'and with the lute, praise Him,' understanding the mouth as
a lute moved by the Spirit as the lute is by the plectrum; 'praise Him with timbal and
choir,' that is, the Church awaiting the resurrection of the body in the flesh which is
its echo; 'praise Him with strings and organ,' calling our bodies an organ and its sinews
strings, for from them the body derives its co-ordinated movement, and when touched by the
Spirit, gives forth human sounds; 'praise Him on high-sounding cymbals,' which mean the
tongue of the mouth, which, with the movement of the lips, produces words.

Then, to all mankind He calls out: 'Let every spirit praise the Lord,'
because He rules over every spirit He has made. In reality, man is an instrument made for
peace, but these other things, if anyone concerns himself overmuch with them, become
instruments of conflict, for they either enkindle desires or inflame the passions.

But as for us, we make use of one instrument alone: only the Word of
peace, by whom we pay homage to God, no longer with ancient harp or trumpet or drum or
flute which those trained for war employ. They give little thought to fear of God in their
festive dances, but seek to arouse their failing courage by such rhythmic measures.

Imitate the holy Hebrew king in his thanksgiving to God: 'Rejoice in
the Lord, O you just; praise becomes the upright, "as the inspired psalm says:
"Give praise to the Lord on the harp, sing to Him with the lyre" - an instrument
with ten strings - "Sing to Him a new canticle" (Ps. 32:1-3). There can be
little doubt that the lyre with its ten strings is a figure of Jesus the Word, for that is
the significance of the number ten.

27. CONDEMNING OTHERS

You, however, shall not judge who is worthy and who is unworthy. For
it is possible that you might err in your opinion. When in doubt and ignorance it is
better to do good to the unworthy for the sake of the worthy, than to guard against the
less good and thereby fail to fall in with the sincere.

For by being too cautious, and by aiming to test who you will or will
not find worthy to be received, it is possible for you to neglect some that are dear to
God; and for this the penalty is punishment in eternal fire.

28. The Pascha

(The Feast of the Resurrection)

In his work "Stromata" he wrote,

Wherefore the tithes, both of the ephah and of the sacrifices, were
presented to God; and with the tenth day began the paschal feast, the transition
(diabasis) from all trouble and from all objects of sense.

This is the first instance of a Christian writer interpreting the
Pascha as humanity's passing over.

29. THE ESCHATOLOGICAL HOPE

For St. Clement, the Gnostic has the experience of heaven,
even while he is in this world. He is waiting for the eternal life to partake of Christ's
inheritance. He attains the pledge of the above Jerusalem in his inner man.

I shall pray the Spirit of Christ to wing me to my Jerusalem.

Such, according to David, "rest in the holy hill of
God," in the church far on high, in which are gathered the philosophers of God,
"who are Israelites indeed, who are pure in heart, in whom there is no guile;"
who do not remain in the seventh seat, the place of rest, but are promoted, through the
active beneficence of divine likeness, to the heritage of beneficence which is the eighth
grade; devoting themselves to the pure vision of insatiable contemplation.

St. Clement believes that there will be different degrees in
heaven.

Conformably, therefore, there are various abodes, according
to the worth of those who have believed. To the point Solomon says, "For there shall
be given to him the choice grace of faith, and a more pleasant lot in the temple of the
Lord." For the comparative shows that there are lower parts in the temple of God,
which is the whole church. And the superlative remains to be conceived, where the Lord is.
These chosen abodes, which are three, are indicated by the numbers in the Gospel the
thirty , the sixty, the hundred. And the perfect inheritance belongs to those who attain
to "a perfect man," according to the image of the Lord.

30. TRUE AND FALSE BEAUTY

St. Clement deals with "Beauty" in his Protrepticus 4,
and Paidagogos 3:1. The artists do their efforts to make beautiful statues for
worshipping them, but beauty is realized through purity, chastity, inner freedom and
dominion, and attaining the likeness of God. Also men and women want to be beautiful by
wearing gold and precious stones, but it is the likeness to God, especially in practicing
love, that makes them thus. The dwelling of the Logos in mans heart makes him
beautiful.

Beauty becomes ugly when it is consumed by outrage. Mortal, do not
play the tyrant over beauty. Do not commit outrage against the bloom of youth...

If you want beauty to be beautiful, keep it pure.

Be a king over beauty, not its tyrant. Let it remain free.

When you have kept its likeness pure, then and only then will I
acknowledge your beauty. When beauty is the true archetype of all that is beauty, then and
only then will I accord it worship.

If one knows himself, he will know God; and knowing God, he will be
made like God, not by wearing gold or long robes, but by well-doing, and by requiring
as few things as possible...

That man with whom the Logos dwells does not alter himself, does not
get himself up: He has the form of the Logos; he is made like to God; he is
beautiful; he does not ornament himself; his is beauty, the true beauty...

Our Savior, the Logos, is the source of the true beauty of our
bodies and souls, for He grants us immortality.

But it is not the beauty of the flesh visible to the eye, but the
true beauty of both soul and body, which He exhibited, which in the former is beneficence;
in the latter - that is, the flesh - immortality.

31. HYMNS

F. Forrester Church and Terrence J. Mulry published the following Hymns
written by St. Clement of Alexandria:

Bridle of colts untamed,
Over our wills presiding;
Wing of unwandering birds,
Our flight securely guiding.
Rudder of youth unbending,
Firm against adverse shock;
Shepherd, with wisdom tending
Lambs of royal flock:
Your simple children bring
In one, that they may sing
In solemn lays
Theirs hymns of praise
With guileless lips to Christ their King.
King of saints, almighty Word
Of the Father highest Lord;
Wisdom's head and chief;
Assuagement of all grief;
Lord of all time and space,
Jesus, Savior of our race;
Shepherd, who does us keep;
Husbandman, who tillest,
We, the people of his love,
Let us sing, nor ever cease,
To the God of peace above.

Let us receive the light
and we will receive God!
Let us receive the light
and become disciples of the Lord!
For he promised the Father
"I will reveal your name to my brothers.
In the midst of the congregation I will sing to you."

Sing, O Word, His praises
and reveal God, your Father, to me!
Your words will save me
and your song will teach me.
Until now I was going astray
in search of God.

But ever since you enlightened me,
Lord, you have taught me to find
him who is my God as well,
and I receive your own Father from you.
I became his heir with you,
for you have not been ashamed of your brother.